Carding picker



Nov. 26, 1929. c; scHol-IELD CARDING PICKER 2 Sheets- Sheet lnnflllhvll INI/lll Filed Oct. 14, 1927 Nov. 26, 1929. c. scHoFlr-:LD

CARDING PI CKER Filed Oct. 14, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Nov. 26, 1929 cHAnrars scHoFIELD, F `rnrInannranrm, PENNSYLVANIA Carmine PICKER Application-filed October 14, 1927. Serial No. 226,175.

This invention relates to carding machines and comprises improvements in a machine of the type shown and described in a prior United States Letters Patent Number 896,-

604:, dated August 18, 1908, and in which I am named as a joint inventor.

One object of my present. invention is to so'construct a machine for carding animal or vegetable fibers that the action of the teeth of the cylinder and workers upon the fiber will have less tendency to break, tear or otherwise injure the fibers, than in ,carding machines heretofore employed.

Another object of the invention is to so mount the Workers that they may be in dependently adjusted relative to the cardmg cylinder and with respect to each other.v

These objects I attain in a manner hereinafter set forth, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, of which :y

Fig. 1- is a side elevation of a carding machine constructed in accordance with the prin ciples of my invention; Y

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal'sectional elevation of a portion of the machine;

Fig. 3 is a side eleva-tion of a portion of the machine drawn on a slightly enlarged scale for the purpose of illustrating the details of the adjusting means for the workers; and

Fig. 4 is a rear elevation of the mechanism shown in Fig. 3. t

In the drawings l represents a casing having a concave bottom 2 inclosing the lower half of a toothed cylinder 3 carried. by a shaft 4, which is adapted to vbearings 1n opposite sides of the casing l and 1s rotated in the direction of the arrow by any suitable mechanism.

' Grouped together adjacent to the upper portion of the cylinder 3 is a series of toothed workers 5, four of which are shown 1n the present instance, although a greater or less number than this may be used, as the character of the work to be performed maysuggest. Each of these workers is carried by `a shaft 6, adapted to suitable bearings adjustably mounted on the sides'of the ca sing 1, and each worker is so rotated, 1n the direction ofv its respective arrow, that, 'while' the teethof the workers, at the points where lthey coact with the teeth ofthe cylinder, travel i i forwardly with the latter teeth, the movement is slower than that of the cylinder teeth, wherebythe. workersexercise a retarding effect upon the fibers and causethe. teeth of the cylinder to comb, card, or straighten out said fibers. v

The workers 5 are rotated at different speeds with respect to each other and with respect to the speed of the cylinder, the first worker having the highest surface speed, the next a somewhat.slower-surface speed, andV so on, progressively tothe last worker. By reason of this construction the surfacespeed of the lfirst-worker may approximate that of the cylinder, hence said worker `will have a minimum of retarding effect upon the fibers, such retarding effect being ,progressively increased as the fibers are drawnforward andy brought under the influence of the successivejworkers of the series, until, by the time they have passed the last worker, the desired carding, combing, or straightening ofthe fibers will have been completed. For the purpose of imparting the desired differential surface speedto .the workers, I have indicated means comprising a shaft 9v provided with a sprocket wheel l0 to which,

and to sprocket wheels 11 on the worker shafts 6, is adapted an endless chain belt l2.

The desired dierential speeding of the various lworkers is effected bythe sprocket wheels 1l being of different diameter on the successive worker shafts, the sprocket wheel on the shaft of the first worker being the Y smallest and Vthat on theshaft of the last worker being the largest. y I" i The fibers which are to besubjected to the action of the machine are delivered from a feed apron 13 to a pair of feed rolls 14 and 14a suitably rotated in the direction of the arrows, these feed rolls discharging the fibers onto the teeth of the cylinder whereby they are carriedvforward and subjected-to the' action of the various workers o f the series in succession, the action beinga gradual and progressive one because of the dierential speeding of said workers. v y The fibers are delivered from the teeth of the cylinder through anoutletl in ,theA

*casinoP casing 1 over an inclinedv apron 16 in said g, and in order to protectr the Workers and yet permit ready access thereto, and also to prevent any escape of liber at the top of the lmachine, the group of workers is partially inclosed Within a hood 17, pivoted at 19, to the casing 1.

On one end of the main shaft 4 is the usual driving pulley 20 and on the opposite end of the said shaft is a small pulley 21 connected by a belt 22 With a pulley 23 secured'to one end of a transversely extending shaft 24. Secured to the opposite end of the shaft 24 is a spur gear 25 Which meshes with a spur gear 26 secured toone end of the shaft 27 which supports androtatesthe lower feed roll 14. On the opposite end of the shaft 27 is a pinion 28 which meshes with a spur gear 29 securedgearing.

lUpon referring to Fig. 2, it will be noted that'the teeth 30 of the carding cylinder 3 ex tend radially from the center of rotation of said cylinder, in the usuall manner. The teeth 31 of the Workers 5 each extend at an angle With'r'espect to the radii of the said workers, the base portions of the teeth traveling in advance of their outer Vpoints or apexes. As above noted, the carding cylin der has a greater surfacespeed than that of the workers, therefore, the teeth of the Workers which are pointing in a direction opposite to' the direction of travel of the surface of the carding' cylinder facilitates thecardingfaction by more effectively 'holding or retarding the pregress of the fibers through the machine, which together with the progressively increasing retardation effected by the progressively slower surface speeds of the successive VWorkers effectively ,straightens the fibers into a position extending circum- Vferentially of the carding cylinder 3 Without tearing or breakingvthem'.

' Adjacent the `last worker 5, I provide a stripper reel 35 comprising, in the present in# stance, a pair of blades 36, 36 mounted on arms 37, 37 extending radially from ashaft 38 rotatably mounted in the side frames of the carding machine. The outer transversely extending edge of each blade 36 is provided v With a flexible strip 39 Which engages the ends of the teeth31 of the last worker 5, and strips anyV fibers which have adhered to the said teeth therefrom, laying them-` back on the Y the stripper reel 35 is rotated.

Each-worker 5 isiprov'id'ed with a circular yflange 43 'at each of its ends Which prevents i the fibers carried by the said' workers'from passing off the ends ofV the workers and be coming matted and tangled around the Worker shafts, Which is a common annoyance in carding machines in general use. f

In order that these flangesand the teeth 31 of each Worker may be properly positioned With respect to each other and with respect to the teeth 3() of the carding cylinder 3, each shaft 6 of the respective Workers 5 is independently and adjustably mounted on the frame of the` machine. e

Each shaft 6 is rotatably mounted in a- 'ournal block 45 at each of its ends. Each journal block 45 is slidablymounted in the forked endV 46 "of an adjustable bracket 47, and is provided with grooves 48, 48v adapted to receive Vthe prongs .49, 49 ofl the'forked end 46 of the bracket 47 .l Therbraeket 47 Vis provided With a pair of longitudinally extend'- ing slots 50 and 51 through which' are adaptf ed to pass .bolts 52 and 53 respectively. Along the longitudinal side edges of the bracket 47 and adjacent the slot 51 Vtherein is formed integral With the bracket 47 a pair of lugs Y54, 54 and at the end of the bracket 47 opposite the forked end 46 thereof is formed an integral lug 55. On the frame of the ma@ chine, adjacent the bracket lugs V54,54 and 55,V are formed frame lugs 56,56 and 57 're; spectively. Passing through and in :threaded engagement with each of said frame lugs is an adjusting screw 58, 58 and 59.respec tively. The slot 50 of the bracket 47 is a snug sliding fit around the bolt 52` While the slot 51 thereof is of greaterrwidth than the diameter ofthe bolt 53, thereby permitting` lateral as Well as longitudinal movement of the bracket 47 with res ect to the bolt'` 53, whereas the snug fit of tile slot 50permits only longitudinal movement of the bracket 47 with respect to the bolt 52.

Obviously by loosening the bolts 52 and53 the bracket 47 and consequently the, Worker 5 can be adjusted 'radially of the cylinder 3 by setting up or back-ing Voil' the .screw 59, Lateral adjustment of the forked end-'46 of the bracket 47, and consequently the Worker 5, can be effected by manipulating the screws 58, 58 until the Worker 5 is inthe proper and Workers andthe cylinder v3.

I claim: A v 1. In a carding machine, the combination desired` positionV With respect to' the otherV of a frame, a carding cylinder rotatably justingeach Worker with respectgto the othery Workers and with respect to said cylinder, comprisinga bracket at 4each .end -of-said Worker, 4in which said shaft isrotatably mounted and having a pair of elongated slots formed in and extending longitudinally of said bracket; securing bolts passing through said slots, one of said bolts located at one end of said bracket snugly fitting its respective slot and the other of said bolts loosely iitting Within its respective slot; means for moving the bracket longitudinally and with respect to said securing bolts comprising a lug on the frame at the end of the bracket opposite to that in which the Worker is mounted, andan adjusting screw threaded through said lug and engaging the said end of said bracket; and means for moving the said bracket laterally at the end thereof occupied by and with respect to said loosely fitting securing bolt comprising lugs on the frame at the opposite sides of the bracket, and adjusting screws threaded through said lugs and engaging said bracket at the opposite sides thereof.

2. In a carding machine, the combination of a carding cylinder mounted for rotation in a definite direction; a series of radially disposed teeth on the surface of said cylinder; a series of rotatably mounted Workers positioned adjacent the surface of said cylinder, the surface of said Workers traveling in a direction consistent With direction of travel of the surface of Said cylinder but at a surface speed less than the surface speed of said 3o cylinder; teeth on said Workers disposed at an angle With respect to the radii of said Workers and pointing in a direction opposite to the direction of tra-vel of the surface of said cylinder; stripping means for, and positioned adjacent to, thelast Worker of the series of Workers, and comprising a rotatable reel consisting of a plurality of blades eX- tending parallel to said Worker, adapted to engage the said teeth thereof and to be rotated in a direction opposite to that of said Worker.

CHARLES SCHOFIELD. 

